Laboratory rats are among the most widely used research animals, yet their welfare is often compromised by housing conditions that fail to meet their complex social and environmental needs.
Rats are highly intelligent, curious, and social animals whose welfare needs are poorly met by barren laboratory cages. Chronic stress from isolation, lack of environmental complexity, and frequent handling harms their wellbeing and can confound research data. Implementing enriched housing, social pairing, and positive reinforcement handling techniques benefits both the animals and the science. The cost of enrichment is low relative to the welfare improvement it produces.